The FAANT girl are at it again. The road to Ironman Mont-Tremblant goes through Lubbock, TX.
Geovany Soto and His Os Trigonum
12 years ago
Showing posts with label 70.3 triathlon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 70.3 triathlon. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The Road to Ironman Mont-Tremblant Goes Through Lubbock
Janet and I decided we needed a hilly warm up 70.3 race about 2 months before Ironman, so of course we picked the hardest course we could find; Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3 Triathlon in Lubbock, TX.
This was the same weekend that Mont-Tremblant was having their warm up race as a 70.3 on the same course as the Ironman race, but who has the time or the money to go to Quebec twice in one summer? No, we thought, we will drive to Lubbock.
That was our first mistake! We jumped in the car Friday morning and drove the 300 miles to Lubbock. What a beating! There is nothing between Fort Worth and Lubbock but wind farms, crops and cow patties. At one point, we were laughing at all the small towns with population 250ish! Really? We stopped in a Dairy Queen about 100 miles from Lubbock to get a snack. The people in the restaurant looked at us like we had dropped in from another planet.
After a lovely drive (NOT), we checked into one of the nicest hotels in Lubbock, the Holiday Inn (smirk). It actually was not horrible and was clean. Lubbock is not exactly a happening town. There really isn’t much in Lubbock other than Texas Tech and lots of cotton fields. We went to the expo on Friday night and got our numbers. The race shirt was the ugliest one I have ever seen!! A steak dinner and a beer, then off to bed.
Saturday morning we decided to go out to Buffalo Springs Lake and watch some of the sprint triathlon as well as check out the water temperature and the horrendous hills we had both heard about. If you listened to most of our friends, the hills were mountains and we were going to perish on them. Well, the water temperature was about 76 and even though they said it was going to be wetsuit legal, we both decided on speed suits. The lake was gorgeous! The hills were steep, but nothing like the mountains that had been described! We rode out bikes up and down the first 3 hills and decided we would live! A nap then a pasta dinner and we were ready for bed!
4am came really early. We had our breakfast and hit the road about 5am. We ran into a little traffic jam getting into the canyon. Seems there was a race going on! Got to the parking lot and then had to walk our bikes down a gigantic hill to transition. Found our spots and we were ready to go.
Swim waves were interesting. All the women were in one huge wave so the start was a little challenging. Then the majority of the men started just a few minutes later. Needless to say, they ran us right over! I got punched in the eye and was happy I was wearing double swim caps so I didn’t lose my goggles. Then I got kicked in the face and got a bloody lip! Ugh! At least the water was relatively calm and the temperature was very friendly! My swim time was not stellar but I got to transition only bleeding from my top lip!
Onto the bike course we went. The first hill is almost as soon as you leave transition and it was almost a 9% grade! Sadistic! After conquering the first few hills it was relatively flat but the wind kicked up as soon as you left the canyon. My swim was so bad I was convinced there weren’t too many people behind me until we hit the third hill, which was another sadistic grade, but this time I was catching the downhill. Now I know what 40 mph feels like on a bike! Scary!! Sadly I reminded myself I had to go back up that grade on the way back! At this point I saw the crowd behind me as I made the first turn around. Whew! I wasn’t in last place. That would be embarrassing! Janet passed me just about the 30 mile marker like I was standing still! Man is she fast on the bike!! The fourth hill is a long winding grade with killer turns and a skinny road. In other words, as your butt is being kicked by the grade you have to watch out for the people coming down out of control on the turns and trying to kill themselves and you. Written on the road was SLOW DOWN on one side and THANK MIKE FOR THE HILLS on the other! You then hit a long stretch of windy farmland in which you began to cook. Literally. My nutrition and hydration were great and I actually had to pee for about the last 25 miles! A good sign!
I had the pleasure of cheering on a few of the hand-cyclists as they were challenged by the hills. Those guys are tough!! Back into the canyon I went after feeling like I was challenged but not beaten, hit the last two hills and wanted desperately to get off my bike!!
Into transition I went, ditched the bike and found a port-a-potty. Running shoes and a little more sunscreen, I was ready to run! Who turned up the heat? As soon as I hit the asphalt, I felt the heat. Thanks Mike for the roving ice carts. He put people on golf carts with large coolers of ice to help with the heat. The hills on the run were not that bad, but were sadistic in the fact that they were long and it was almost 100 when I started running. When I hit the 6 mile marker, the volunteer at the aid station said it was 105! Crazy! The heat was just wafting off the road. I had ice chunks in my bra and down my pants as well as down my back just to keep my heart rate from spiking. It was walk:run the whole way. Walk through all the aid stations then run until your heart rate started to spike again. A beating! I passed Janet at about the 7 mile marker. She wasn’t faring much better than I was. We were both in hunker down and get it done mode.
I was so happy to enter the park and see the finish line, I almost cried. I crossed, got my medal and shirt then headed for the lake. I barely took my shoes off before I dived in. The water felt amazing!
So that was Buffalo Spring Lake 70.3 Triathlon. A butt whipping of a race, but a great challenge on the road to Ironman Mont-Tremblant. The hills were a challenge, but totally doable. The heat is what got you. Now I understand why it is a Kona qualifier. It was harder than Ironman Texas because of the heat coupled with the tough course. Mike, you are a sadist! And , Yes, we will be back!!
PS. Janet won her category, so she got to go home with a really cute buffalo trophy which she named Leonard. ☺ Very cool!
PPS. Video on the way.....soon
This was the same weekend that Mont-Tremblant was having their warm up race as a 70.3 on the same course as the Ironman race, but who has the time or the money to go to Quebec twice in one summer? No, we thought, we will drive to Lubbock.
That was our first mistake! We jumped in the car Friday morning and drove the 300 miles to Lubbock. What a beating! There is nothing between Fort Worth and Lubbock but wind farms, crops and cow patties. At one point, we were laughing at all the small towns with population 250ish! Really? We stopped in a Dairy Queen about 100 miles from Lubbock to get a snack. The people in the restaurant looked at us like we had dropped in from another planet.
After a lovely drive (NOT), we checked into one of the nicest hotels in Lubbock, the Holiday Inn (smirk). It actually was not horrible and was clean. Lubbock is not exactly a happening town. There really isn’t much in Lubbock other than Texas Tech and lots of cotton fields. We went to the expo on Friday night and got our numbers. The race shirt was the ugliest one I have ever seen!! A steak dinner and a beer, then off to bed.
Saturday morning we decided to go out to Buffalo Springs Lake and watch some of the sprint triathlon as well as check out the water temperature and the horrendous hills we had both heard about. If you listened to most of our friends, the hills were mountains and we were going to perish on them. Well, the water temperature was about 76 and even though they said it was going to be wetsuit legal, we both decided on speed suits. The lake was gorgeous! The hills were steep, but nothing like the mountains that had been described! We rode out bikes up and down the first 3 hills and decided we would live! A nap then a pasta dinner and we were ready for bed!
4am came really early. We had our breakfast and hit the road about 5am. We ran into a little traffic jam getting into the canyon. Seems there was a race going on! Got to the parking lot and then had to walk our bikes down a gigantic hill to transition. Found our spots and we were ready to go.
Swim waves were interesting. All the women were in one huge wave so the start was a little challenging. Then the majority of the men started just a few minutes later. Needless to say, they ran us right over! I got punched in the eye and was happy I was wearing double swim caps so I didn’t lose my goggles. Then I got kicked in the face and got a bloody lip! Ugh! At least the water was relatively calm and the temperature was very friendly! My swim time was not stellar but I got to transition only bleeding from my top lip!
Onto the bike course we went. The first hill is almost as soon as you leave transition and it was almost a 9% grade! Sadistic! After conquering the first few hills it was relatively flat but the wind kicked up as soon as you left the canyon. My swim was so bad I was convinced there weren’t too many people behind me until we hit the third hill, which was another sadistic grade, but this time I was catching the downhill. Now I know what 40 mph feels like on a bike! Scary!! Sadly I reminded myself I had to go back up that grade on the way back! At this point I saw the crowd behind me as I made the first turn around. Whew! I wasn’t in last place. That would be embarrassing! Janet passed me just about the 30 mile marker like I was standing still! Man is she fast on the bike!! The fourth hill is a long winding grade with killer turns and a skinny road. In other words, as your butt is being kicked by the grade you have to watch out for the people coming down out of control on the turns and trying to kill themselves and you. Written on the road was SLOW DOWN on one side and THANK MIKE FOR THE HILLS on the other! You then hit a long stretch of windy farmland in which you began to cook. Literally. My nutrition and hydration were great and I actually had to pee for about the last 25 miles! A good sign!
I had the pleasure of cheering on a few of the hand-cyclists as they were challenged by the hills. Those guys are tough!! Back into the canyon I went after feeling like I was challenged but not beaten, hit the last two hills and wanted desperately to get off my bike!!
Into transition I went, ditched the bike and found a port-a-potty. Running shoes and a little more sunscreen, I was ready to run! Who turned up the heat? As soon as I hit the asphalt, I felt the heat. Thanks Mike for the roving ice carts. He put people on golf carts with large coolers of ice to help with the heat. The hills on the run were not that bad, but were sadistic in the fact that they were long and it was almost 100 when I started running. When I hit the 6 mile marker, the volunteer at the aid station said it was 105! Crazy! The heat was just wafting off the road. I had ice chunks in my bra and down my pants as well as down my back just to keep my heart rate from spiking. It was walk:run the whole way. Walk through all the aid stations then run until your heart rate started to spike again. A beating! I passed Janet at about the 7 mile marker. She wasn’t faring much better than I was. We were both in hunker down and get it done mode.
I was so happy to enter the park and see the finish line, I almost cried. I crossed, got my medal and shirt then headed for the lake. I barely took my shoes off before I dived in. The water felt amazing!
So that was Buffalo Spring Lake 70.3 Triathlon. A butt whipping of a race, but a great challenge on the road to Ironman Mont-Tremblant. The hills were a challenge, but totally doable. The heat is what got you. Now I understand why it is a Kona qualifier. It was harder than Ironman Texas because of the heat coupled with the tough course. Mike, you are a sadist! And , Yes, we will be back!!
PS. Janet won her category, so she got to go home with a really cute buffalo trophy which she named Leonard. ☺ Very cool!
PPS. Video on the way.....soon
Sunday, April 29, 2012
New Orleans 70.3 or More Like 67.1 2012
The Road to Ironman Mont-Tremblant went through New Orleans. It was a crazy weekend of wild, windy weather, cancelled swim and fun times for all! Dr Crane encouraged her friend Linda in her first attempt at the distance and now we all have a new Personal record at 67.1! Nuts....enjoy the video madness.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The Road to Ironman Mont-Tremblant Goes Through New Orleans
The road to Ironman Mont-Tremblant went through New Orleans
this weekend. As many of you know, that follow this blog, Janet decided to go
to Galveston and I chose New Orleans for our early season half Ironman. I chose
New Orleans because last year in Galveston, I had a really hard time staying
upright while biking into a 30 mph head wind. I thought New Orleans would have
better weather! God has a sense of humor!
New Orleans Ironman 70.3 was in a word - windy! Crazy,
insane windy!! It was also only 67.1! The wind caused the race director, Bill
Burke, to have to cancel the swim for the second year in a row. I actually felt
bad for the guy since so many people were so upset, but when we got down to the
water on Sunday morning, it was obvious that drowning was a risk given the 5
foot and higher waves!
We actually did a run-bike-run triathlon, which was much
better than what they did at the Poconos 70.3 last year. At that race, after
cancelling the swim, they attempted a time trial start of the bikes starting participants
3 seconds apart. This sounds good in theory, but the roads were very wet and
there were crashes all over the place! In New Orleans, they were creative and
wanted to keep the relay teams intact, so they made us run 2 miles to start
then ride 52 miles (shortened due to road closures) and then run 13.1 miles to
finish.
I met my friend Linda, from Arizona, in New Orleans and she
was pretty anxious to do her first 70.3. She is attempting Ironman Arizona in
November, so she needed a warm up race as well. I made a pact that I would
never race without Janet again! Every time I go to a race without Janet, the
weather sucks!
The best part of my race was the beginning of the 2 mile
run. They started us in pair about 2 seconds apart and I was in the 5th
wave (40 and older women). This wave included all the “old” ladies. I started
near the back of the wave and was just completing the first mile when I came
upon a woman with an “81” on her calf. I
glanced at her and then realized it was the “Iron Nun”! Sister Madonna Buder is
a Catholic nun who has completed over 400 triathlons and is an inspiration to
all at The Ironman World Championships every year! (If you haven't read her book, it will inspire you!) I said, “Good Morning
Sister!”, just to make sure it was her and then had a short conversation
running along with her. Such a positive
person and it was a thrill to meet her. She is still running strong and should
be an inspiration to all of us to keep moving! I told her I only hope I am
still competing in 40 years!
After the short run to warm up, we jumped on our bikes to
brave the wind. Crazy, insane and, at times, dangerous wind! I was trying to
maintain 19-20 mph but no such luck. I worked very hard to keep 17.8 mph
average into a 25mph+ head wind! It seemed like the wind was in your face no
matter what direction you were going in! There were only 4 hills on the entire
course, (Louisiana hills also known as overpasses ha ha) and at the top of one
of them, a gust practically threw me off my bike. The bike actually felt like
it went airborne for a second! I finished the bike in one piece and was happy
to start running.
Then someone turned up the heat! The run was a double loop
with awesome crowd support and plenty of aid stations! Thankfully lots of water
and wet sponges since it was so hot! Very flat with a few small hills but
overall a nice rolling course. The casts
of characters were out, just like most races. We had 3 Spidermans, guys in
jester suits, and my favorite….guys running in their wetsuits with goggles and
all, probably protesting the no swim!
I was happy to wave to Sister Madonna on the run and
shamefully happy she was on the other side of the road about 5 miles behind me
(who wants to get beaten by an 81 year old!!). I finished strong and with a
smile. Legs of jelly from pushing hard on the bike made for a slow run, but
overall a good day! No pesky plantar fasciitis showed up, so I think I have cured myself with EPAT finally! I have some work to do before I am ready to tackle the
mountains in Quebec, but I earned my post-race beer today! Linda finished not
so far behind me with a big smile!
Next up….Buffalo Springs 70.3….
Monday, October 3, 2011
Poconos 70.3 A Perfect Storm…and 68.1 Really!
Crazy Weekend! Wet, Rainy, Cold, Hilly and the most ridiculous course I’ve ever ridden! Let’s be serious. The weather was awful! I had picked a race in the Northeast because I was sick and tired of feeling like I was running on the face of the sun! God has a sense of humor. I was thinking it would be a balmy 65 degrees or so and warm up to 70? No, how about 41 at the start that warms up to 55! Did I mention the rain? Yes, it rained for something like a week before the race so the river was so high we couldn’t swim.
The Delaware River Gap was 7 feet above its banks and had so much debris they were worried one of us would get killed. I get that. Honestly, I was a little miffed until I went down to the river and saw how high and how fast the current was flowing. Then I was glad we weren’t swimming. It was scary looking!
So we started with the bike. Hmmm…how do you get 2,000 people on a bike course without killing themselves in a mass start? Time trial start…sorta. They started the pros with 30 second intervals at 7:25am….yes, a little late. The rain and clouds made it a little dark at 7am. Then they started with the age groupers at 3 second intervals…really! So much for no drafting. We were all bunched up on wet roads that were absolutely scary at times. The first half of the bike course was all bunched up and very, very hilly, with a lot of scary turns. Lots of crashing! At one point I was going 34 miles an hour down a hill and watched the guy in front of me wipe out on the turn. At that point I hit the brakes and thought perhaps a slower ride was the better side of valor. The hills were unrelentless. At 50 miles, there was a 5% grade after turning a corner. I did something I have never done since grammar school. After watching one guy fall off the hill with his bike (no time to unclip), I got off and walked the hill! I was embarrassed until I saw about 10 people after me do the same thing! This course was crazy, sick hilly!
Into T2 I went with completely screaming quads! I put my running shoes on and took off only to find that my legs were dead! Really dead! I jogged a few miles and they seemed to warm up, but then I hit someone’s version of a joke! Crazy, rolling hills on the run. All kidding aside, they were nothing like the hills on the bike, but we were all bitching and moaning. I saw more people walking than any race I have ever run. I pathetically jogged into the finish. Happy to be done. Freezing! Crazy, cold, rainy weather plus sick course makes for a miserable day. Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Perhaps I should venture down to the Longhorn 70.3 in three weeks in Austin and kick some butt, because honestly the Poconos 70.3 kicked my butt! Happy to be alive and smiling! Time was pathetic but I finished. The older you get, the more that matters than the watch!
The Delaware River Gap was 7 feet above its banks and had so much debris they were worried one of us would get killed. I get that. Honestly, I was a little miffed until I went down to the river and saw how high and how fast the current was flowing. Then I was glad we weren’t swimming. It was scary looking!
So we started with the bike. Hmmm…how do you get 2,000 people on a bike course without killing themselves in a mass start? Time trial start…sorta. They started the pros with 30 second intervals at 7:25am….yes, a little late. The rain and clouds made it a little dark at 7am. Then they started with the age groupers at 3 second intervals…really! So much for no drafting. We were all bunched up on wet roads that were absolutely scary at times. The first half of the bike course was all bunched up and very, very hilly, with a lot of scary turns. Lots of crashing! At one point I was going 34 miles an hour down a hill and watched the guy in front of me wipe out on the turn. At that point I hit the brakes and thought perhaps a slower ride was the better side of valor. The hills were unrelentless. At 50 miles, there was a 5% grade after turning a corner. I did something I have never done since grammar school. After watching one guy fall off the hill with his bike (no time to unclip), I got off and walked the hill! I was embarrassed until I saw about 10 people after me do the same thing! This course was crazy, sick hilly!
Into T2 I went with completely screaming quads! I put my running shoes on and took off only to find that my legs were dead! Really dead! I jogged a few miles and they seemed to warm up, but then I hit someone’s version of a joke! Crazy, rolling hills on the run. All kidding aside, they were nothing like the hills on the bike, but we were all bitching and moaning. I saw more people walking than any race I have ever run. I pathetically jogged into the finish. Happy to be done. Freezing! Crazy, cold, rainy weather plus sick course makes for a miserable day. Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Perhaps I should venture down to the Longhorn 70.3 in three weeks in Austin and kick some butt, because honestly the Poconos 70.3 kicked my butt! Happy to be alive and smiling! Time was pathetic but I finished. The older you get, the more that matters than the watch!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Gotta Tri New Orleans 70.3!
It’s the day after my second Half Ironman. Funny thing, I’m stiff and sore, but the worst pain I have is in my sunburn and my wetsuit rub on my neck! What did we learn from the Oschner New Orleans 70.3 this weekend? Sunscreen and Body Glide are essential to a good long course triathlon experience. You would think after finishing Austin 70.3 last October with sunburn that looked like ahi tuna on both shoulders that I would learn. Must be the blonde in me, ha ha. Stubborn or stupid Hmmm….
What a great day it was in New Orleans. Lake Pontchartrain was choppy and took out quite a few swimmers. I had some rough early moments, but then became one with the waves and relaxed. Unfortunately, I probably swam 3000 meters instead of 2000 because I was all over the place. The waves were pulling you into the shore. I even had one chick in a kayak yell at me “Go left or you will hit the levy”. I was sure levy ping pong with my body would hurt, so I zigzagged my way back on course. I got out of the water about 5 minutes longer than it should’ve been, but no major damage done.
On to the bike! Transition was smooth. Thank God for wet suit strippers! Onto Roxanne (that’s my bike’s name) and away I went. My bike got tons of comments from the other riders. No exaggeration, I think about 500 people in the race commented what a cool bike I had (she’s hot pink camo). I wish they gave out style points, because she is definitely a statement on the ride! The best part was that after I Retuled my bike last month, I rode almost 2.5 mph faster than before! Sweet! The course was flat and fast! The only hills were the overpasses! I spanked the bike and entered transition. I was happy to see only about half of my age group competitors were already on the run so I was having a fine day!
Then the sun peeked its head out from behind the clouds and made all of us pay. It was 83 degrees and about 90% humidity. A hot, steamy day in New Orleans. Normally for me, this would not have been a problem, but the weather in Texas has been so cold that we had no training in the heat to get our bodies acclimatized. Lots of water, Gatorade, salt tablets and ice. I found a great new use for the Jog bra….it holds ice very well between aid stations and definitely helps keep your core temperature down! The run was not pretty, but I dug deep into my mararthon experience and realized the faster I ran the sooner I would be done. Not pretty, but got it done. I crossed the finish line in front of Jackson Square in 6:28 and happily had a beer to celebrate. That was the best tasting beer I think I have ever had! After a potty break and a silver blanket, it was back to the course to find Janet. The boys let me know that she was hurting coming off the bike and probably was walking it in. Happily, we spotted her running slowly but moving forward. She crossed the line and took her beer as well! A good time was had by all!! Janet’s coach Della Irby won her age group, so we had a second beer to celebrate!!
So again, what did we learn? Lube or Body Glide the heck out of your neck before putting on your wet suit if the water is at all choppy. You spend the whole time looking like a turtle popping your head up to try to see where you are going. Sunscreen after you take off your wetsuit in transition. The extra 20 seconds are worth it not to be whining about your sunburn the next day! And remember that God has a sense of humor…..Hydration and nutrition is the key to getting through to the finish. Will I do another one? Of course. Thinking about Miami 70.3 in October. Hmm….A salt water swim would be a cool new experience and I love Cuban food!!
What a great day it was in New Orleans. Lake Pontchartrain was choppy and took out quite a few swimmers. I had some rough early moments, but then became one with the waves and relaxed. Unfortunately, I probably swam 3000 meters instead of 2000 because I was all over the place. The waves were pulling you into the shore. I even had one chick in a kayak yell at me “Go left or you will hit the levy”. I was sure levy ping pong with my body would hurt, so I zigzagged my way back on course. I got out of the water about 5 minutes longer than it should’ve been, but no major damage done.
On to the bike! Transition was smooth. Thank God for wet suit strippers! Onto Roxanne (that’s my bike’s name) and away I went. My bike got tons of comments from the other riders. No exaggeration, I think about 500 people in the race commented what a cool bike I had (she’s hot pink camo). I wish they gave out style points, because she is definitely a statement on the ride! The best part was that after I Retuled my bike last month, I rode almost 2.5 mph faster than before! Sweet! The course was flat and fast! The only hills were the overpasses! I spanked the bike and entered transition. I was happy to see only about half of my age group competitors were already on the run so I was having a fine day!
Then the sun peeked its head out from behind the clouds and made all of us pay. It was 83 degrees and about 90% humidity. A hot, steamy day in New Orleans. Normally for me, this would not have been a problem, but the weather in Texas has been so cold that we had no training in the heat to get our bodies acclimatized. Lots of water, Gatorade, salt tablets and ice. I found a great new use for the Jog bra….it holds ice very well between aid stations and definitely helps keep your core temperature down! The run was not pretty, but I dug deep into my mararthon experience and realized the faster I ran the sooner I would be done. Not pretty, but got it done. I crossed the finish line in front of Jackson Square in 6:28 and happily had a beer to celebrate. That was the best tasting beer I think I have ever had! After a potty break and a silver blanket, it was back to the course to find Janet. The boys let me know that she was hurting coming off the bike and probably was walking it in. Happily, we spotted her running slowly but moving forward. She crossed the line and took her beer as well! A good time was had by all!! Janet’s coach Della Irby won her age group, so we had a second beer to celebrate!!
So again, what did we learn? Lube or Body Glide the heck out of your neck before putting on your wet suit if the water is at all choppy. You spend the whole time looking like a turtle popping your head up to try to see where you are going. Sunscreen after you take off your wetsuit in transition. The extra 20 seconds are worth it not to be whining about your sunburn the next day! And remember that God has a sense of humor…..Hydration and nutrition is the key to getting through to the finish. Will I do another one? Of course. Thinking about Miami 70.3 in October. Hmm….A salt water swim would be a cool new experience and I love Cuban food!!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
I Survived Longhorn 70.3!
Yes, RunDoc survived her first Half Ironman!
Wow! We were blessed with a great day for racing on Sunday. Slightly overcast and chilly at the start. The elite wave went off just after the sun came up over the water. What an amazing sight. They are so very fast!! I got in the water on the 5th flight (old ladies ha ha) and spanked the swim! It took about 5 minutes for me to get comfortable, but given the water was 70 degrees I was happy to have my wet suit on. Steady rhythm and out of the water in 44 minutes.
Transition was hilarious. The wet suit strippers unfortunately stripped off the bottoms of the girl next to me (so much for public nudity being prohibited) so she was mortified and I couldn’t stop laughing. I had trouble finding my bike in the sea of bikes but then got changed and off I went. I had to keep a steady heart rate during the bike so I would have something left for the run. I also had to make sure I took in enough nutrition and drank enough so I wouldn’t be dead before I started to run. Rolling hills are your friend, but some killer turns were nasty. I only passed 4 people that were actually moving forward. The other 12 or so were either crashed (sorry Diesel) or were somewhere between throwing up or passing out. Being the stellar cyclist I am (NOT), I think at least 2000 people passed me on the bike.
Oh well, I still got through faster than my goal and after a smooth transition started to run. Well, you may call it running but it was more like a slow crawl at first. Then a walk. My stomach was in knots. After a quick trip to the port-a-potty and a little vomitus, I was feeling much better. Guess I actually ate too much on the bike. I was 4 miles in and started to actually run. The run was three loops so I got to see my awesome cheering section of sherpas three times. They reminded me on the last loop that I would make it under 7 hours if I just kept a steady pace (which at this point was 10 minute miles). Boy did it get hot on the run. Thank God for the cold towels, wet sponges and water stations about every mile. It was amazing to me how many people were walking and crawling at the end. Some were even staggering. I finished with a strong charge and made it in at 6:57:59. Yea! An hour faster than I predicted, and under 7, so Janet’s prediction came true. All weekend she was chanting 6, 6, I know you can do it in 6.
A cold Shiner was my reward after the finish line and a good time was had by all. Worst part of the whole weekend was the drive home (and the sunburn)…Thank God Janet was on sherpa duty and loves to drive! What did I learn? Patience and perseverance mixed with a little stubbornness will get you through, but a few more long bricks probably would’ve helped me take an hour off my time. Off season a new bike is definitely in order and oh yeah….wear sunscreen!
A great first Half-Ironman experience! Funny thing, I hurt a lot less the next day than I did after my last marathon. Guess I will have to try another one next season…who knows maybe even a full in 2011! Run Happy my peeps!
Wow! We were blessed with a great day for racing on Sunday. Slightly overcast and chilly at the start. The elite wave went off just after the sun came up over the water. What an amazing sight. They are so very fast!! I got in the water on the 5th flight (old ladies ha ha) and spanked the swim! It took about 5 minutes for me to get comfortable, but given the water was 70 degrees I was happy to have my wet suit on. Steady rhythm and out of the water in 44 minutes.
Transition was hilarious. The wet suit strippers unfortunately stripped off the bottoms of the girl next to me (so much for public nudity being prohibited) so she was mortified and I couldn’t stop laughing. I had trouble finding my bike in the sea of bikes but then got changed and off I went. I had to keep a steady heart rate during the bike so I would have something left for the run. I also had to make sure I took in enough nutrition and drank enough so I wouldn’t be dead before I started to run. Rolling hills are your friend, but some killer turns were nasty. I only passed 4 people that were actually moving forward. The other 12 or so were either crashed (sorry Diesel) or were somewhere between throwing up or passing out. Being the stellar cyclist I am (NOT), I think at least 2000 people passed me on the bike.
Oh well, I still got through faster than my goal and after a smooth transition started to run. Well, you may call it running but it was more like a slow crawl at first. Then a walk. My stomach was in knots. After a quick trip to the port-a-potty and a little vomitus, I was feeling much better. Guess I actually ate too much on the bike. I was 4 miles in and started to actually run. The run was three loops so I got to see my awesome cheering section of sherpas three times. They reminded me on the last loop that I would make it under 7 hours if I just kept a steady pace (which at this point was 10 minute miles). Boy did it get hot on the run. Thank God for the cold towels, wet sponges and water stations about every mile. It was amazing to me how many people were walking and crawling at the end. Some were even staggering. I finished with a strong charge and made it in at 6:57:59. Yea! An hour faster than I predicted, and under 7, so Janet’s prediction came true. All weekend she was chanting 6, 6, I know you can do it in 6.
A cold Shiner was my reward after the finish line and a good time was had by all. Worst part of the whole weekend was the drive home (and the sunburn)…Thank God Janet was on sherpa duty and loves to drive! What did I learn? Patience and perseverance mixed with a little stubbornness will get you through, but a few more long bricks probably would’ve helped me take an hour off my time. Off season a new bike is definitely in order and oh yeah….wear sunscreen!
A great first Half-Ironman experience! Funny thing, I hurt a lot less the next day than I did after my last marathon. Guess I will have to try another one next season…who knows maybe even a full in 2011! Run Happy my peeps!
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